The kitchen is being ripped out, you are moving, or the new flat is not ready yet, and the hallway holds a fridge, a washing machine, a dishwasher and a microwave. Working out how to store appliances for a few weeks or months looks simple, until a washing machine sits through a frost with water in its pump or a fridge refuses to go through a door.

We rent storage units in Bratislava and Nitra, and with appliances three things decide everything: whether the appliance fits through the door and under the ceiling, whether any water is left in it before the frost, and whether it belongs in an indoor unit or a container. We go through them in that order, then the preparation, then actual units with prices as of 16 October 2026.

Measure first: the door and the unit height

Floor space is almost never the problem with appliances. The door and the height are. Every unit page lists length, width, height and the door size, and all unit types are on the page storage unit types and sizes.

• Indoor units at Tomášikova and Holíčska have a 0.80 × 1.95 m door (a few at Holíčska only 0.70 m) and walls 2.60 m high. They have no ceiling of their own; the hall above them is over 3 m high.
• Containers have a standard 0.80 × 2.00 m door and a solid steel ceiling at 2.60 m.
• Containers with a 2.25 × 2.30 m double door: every 14.40 m² container, plus N29 and N41 (7.20 m²) in Nitra.

A typical washing machine or dishwasher measures about 60 × 60 × 85 cm and goes through any door. A fridge freezer is 60 cm wide but often 1.85 to 2.01 m tall, so through the 1.95 m door of an indoor unit a taller one goes in slightly tilted, which two people manage easily. An American style fridge around 90 cm wide will not pass a 0.80 m door at all; for that one the only option is a container with a double door.

For a sense of floor space: a fridge, a washing machine, a dishwasher and a cooker each stand on roughly 60 × 65 cm. In two rows of two they need about 1.20 × 1.30 m, so they fit even into a 2.56 m² indoor unit (1.55 × 1.65 m) with room left for boxes of crockery.

Get the water out of hoses and pumps before the frost

The most expensive mistake in appliance storage is water left inside. A washing machine keeps water in its pump, filter and hoses even after the drain cycle, a dishwasher in its sump, a coffee machine in its boiler and pipes. When it freezes it expands and splits a valve, the pump or a hose. Nothing shows from the outside, and the first wash afterwards floods the bathroom.

• Washing machine: turn off the water, disconnect the inlet hose and empty it into a bucket. Let the rest out through the pump filter at the bottom front (put down a towel and a shallow tray; there is usually more water than you expect). If you still have the transit bolts, put them back before moving it, otherwise the drum swings around.
• Dishwasher: run the drain, clean and dry the filter and wipe the sump dry.
• Coffee machine and humidifier: empty the tank. Many bean to cup machines have a menu option to drain the system for transport; check the manual.
• Fridge and freezer: switch them off a day ahead, let them defrost and wipe them dry, including the drain channel at the back.

If you are moving from one flat to another with a few weeks between handing back the old one and getting the keys to the new one, our article on where to store your belongings between two flats explains how to plan that gap.

Why appliances belong in an indoor unit, not a container

Containers are ventilated but unheated and not air conditioned, so in winter it freezes inside, and in autumn and spring moisture condenses on the cold steel. The indoor units at Tomášikova and Holíčska are inside closed buildings with a comfortable temperature in summer and winter, and both buildings have temperature and humidity sensors. For appliances that means:

• Electronics (control boards, displays, a TV, a microwave) cope badly with repeated swings around zero and with condensation. In an indoor unit the question never comes up.
• Leftover water you missed does not freeze indoors. In a container, draining completely is a condition, not a tip.
• Seals and rubber on fridge and washing machine doors stiffen in the frost.

A container has two real advantages for appliances: the double door for an American fridge, and driving right up to the door on the ground floor. If you choose one, put the appliances in fully dry and drained, and after the winter give them a few hours to warm up at home before you plug them in. Every difference between the two types, including the price per cubic metre, is in our article container or indoor storage unit.

How to prepare and move appliances

• After defrosting, leave the fridge door ajar, for example with a folded towel between door and frame. A closed damp fridge smells within a month and starts to grow mould.
• Move the fridge upright. If it had to lie down or tilt a lot, let it stand for a few hours at its new place before switching it on, so the oil runs back into the compressor. The exact time is in the manufacturer's manual.
• Leave the washing machine and dishwasher doors ajar and the detergent drawer pulled out, so the seals dry.
• Coil cables and hoses and tape them to the back of the appliance so they do not snag while carrying.
• Wrap appliances in a blanket or cardboard against scratches. Avoid tight plastic film, which traps moisture.
• Keep a TV in its original box or upright and padded with blankets, never flat with something on top. Take the batteries out of the remotes.
• In the unit, put the heavy appliances against a wall with the front free, so you can reach them without unloading everything else.

We do not move anything ourselves: no van, no movers. When you rent, though, the unit page has a block called "Moving assistance (paid service)". Tick that you need it and our partner's specialists get in touch; you pay them directly for the move. Tomášikova and Holíčska have a trolley on site.

Which unit and what it costs as of 16 October 2026

Prices are per month for a 1 / 3 / 6 / 9 / 12 month term, excluding VAT; 23% VAT is added where the location's landlord is VAT registered: always in Nitra, in Bratislava for companies with a VAT number. They change with how full a location is, and you always see the exact price before paying. At Tomášikova a 20% discount applies until 31 December 2026 to new rentals made on the site, for the term paid at the rental; a renewal is at the regular price.

• A microwave, coffee machine, vacuum cleaner and boxes of crockery, or a washing machine next to a fridge: T22 at Tomášikova, 1.20 m² (1.20 × 1.00 m): €45 / 42 / 40 / 38 / 36 (regular €56 / 53 / 50 / 47 / 45), three months €126.
• A whole kitchen (fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, cooker) and a few boxes: T13 or T14 at Tomášikova, 2.56 m² (1.55 × 1.65 m): €80 / 76 / 71 / 67 / 62 (regular €100 / 95 / 89 / 84 / 78), three months €228. At Holíčska H13, 3.20 m² (1.23 × 2.60 m): €83 / 78 / 73 / 68 / 63, three months €234.
• A kitchen plus boxes and smaller furniture: T44, T58 or T67 at Tomášikova, 3.60 m² (2.00 × 1.80 m): €91 / 86 / 82 / 78 / 74 (regular €114 / 108 / 103 / 98 / 93), three months €258. T73, 4.94 m² with a 3.80 m long wall: €115 / 111 / 107 / 103 / 99, three months €333.
• Drained appliances with the car at the door: a 3.60 m² container at Pionierska (P9, P13, P14), ground floor: €75 / 69 / 64 / 56 / 48, three months €207.
• An American fridge: a 14.40 m² container with a double door at Pionierska (P32, P36, P38, P87), ground floor: €167 / 155 / 143 / 137 / 131, three months €465. In Nitra N41, 7.20 m² with a double door, 10% off: €77 / 72 / 68 / 62 / 58, three months €216.

A renovation nearly always runs over, so do not take a single month "to see" when you know the work will take longer. How short rentals work and what a month costs against a year is covered in short-term storage rental for a month. Every free unit with today's price is on the page storage unit prices.

Common mistakes

• A washing machine in a container without draining the pump filter. One frost is enough to crack a part.
• A fridge closed straight after defrosting. A month later it smells and has mould.
• No measuring. An American fridge does not go through a 0.80 m door, and you find out at the unit with a full van.
• A heavy appliance into a first floor container. At Dúbravka, Gessayova, Kaukazská and Pionierska some containers are on the first floor up the stairs; for appliances take the ground floor or Tomášikova.
• A TV lying flat with boxes on top. The screen cracks under less weight than you would think.
• Food left in the fridge or a gas bottle next to the cooker. Our terms forbid perishable food, flammables and pressure vessels in a unit. The full list is in what you can store in a storage unit.

When to choose a different unit or term

• You are storing only a microwave, a coffee machine and a couple of boxes: you do not need 3 m², the smallest indoor unit at Tomášikova does it.
• A sofa and a wardrobe that do not come apart go along with the appliances: take a 14.40 m² container with a double door and put the appliances in drained.
• You know the exact day the kitchen will be finished: choose "Custom period / Exact to the day" instead of whole months (the shortest such rental is 32 days).
• The end is uncertain: take 3 months and extend in your account once you know how much longer. Twelve months "just in case" are recalculated at the tariff of the term actually used if you end early, and the last 14 days are not refunded.

How to go about it

1. Measure the height and width of the fridge and check whether it is an American type wider than 0.80 m.
2. The day before the move, switch off the fridge and freezer, drain the washing machine through the pump filter and the dishwasher through its filter.
3. On the site choose a location and a unit. Each unit shows dimensions, door, floor, car access and the price for every term.
4. Pick the term to match the renovation schedule and, if you need it, tick moving assistance.
5. Fill in your details and pay. In about 10 minutes the contract and access details are in your customer account.
6. Move the appliances upright, stand them against a wall with doors ajar and lock the unit with your own padlock.
7. If a removal firm or a tradesman brings the appliances, add their number in your account. The gate that opens on a call (everywhere except Holíčska) then opens for them too.

Frequently asked questions

Will a fridge fit upright in a storage unit?

Yes, the units are 2.60 m high. The indoor door is 0.80 × 1.95 m and the container door 0.80 × 2.00 m, so a 2.01 m fridge goes in slightly tilted. An American fridge about 90 cm wide needs a container with a 2.25 × 2.30 m double door.

Can a washing machine stay in a container over winter?

Only when fully drained, including the pump filter and the inlet hose. Containers are unheated and leftover water freezes. An indoor unit with a comfortable temperature at Tomášikova or Holíčska is the safer choice.

How do I store a fridge so it does not smell?

Defrost it, wipe it dry including the drain channel and leave the door ajar, for example with a folded towel between door and frame. Store it upright with nothing heavy on top.

How much does it cost to store appliances during a renovation?

As of 16 October 2026 from €126 excluding VAT for three months in indoor unit T22 at Tomášikova with the discount, or a whole kitchen in a 2.56 m² unit for €228 excluding VAT for three months. Prices change with occupancy.

Can you help move the appliances?

We do not move anything ourselves. When renting you can tick moving assistance and a partner contacts you; you pay them directly. Insurance of your things up to €2,000 is included, and cover up to €5,000 costs €4.50 a month.

Related articles

• where to store furniture during renovation
• storage while selling a flat